Short Bowel and Intestinal Rehabilitation Program

Intestinal failure (IF) in children occurs when the intestines cannot digest and absorb enough nutrients, fluids, and electrolytes to support normal growth, development and health. Intestinal failure can be caused by many different medical conditions. The most common cause of intestinal failure is a condition called Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS). This occurs when we need to surgically remove important portions of the intestine resulting in a much shorter bowel. Other causes of intestinal failure include conditions that affect the nervous system of the gastrointestinal tract or motility disorders, where the intestine is present but does not move food properly. As a result of many of these conditions, the child often depends on intravenous nutrition (parenteral nutrition) for some extended period of time. 

When children develop Short Bowel Syndrome, the remaining intestine naturally starts to adapt in many different ways. The process of Intestinal Rehabilitation is a process during which we stimulate the intestine to grow, adapt, and become more efficient. We do this through nutritional, medical, and surgical therapies. Some children who develop intestinal failure will often need different forms of nutrition support including tube feeds and IV nutrition or Parenteral Nutrition.

We know that the process of intestinal rehabilitation can be a long and hard journey. While we often meet you while you are in the hospital, we will continue to partner with you through the process of intestinal rehabilitation at home. This will be achieved by working with our team during follow-up appointments in our clinic. Our expert medical team has decades of experience managing intestinal rehabilitation and IV nutrition, and we look forward to working with you and your child.

On the day of your visit, you will meet a multi-disciplinary team led by one of our Pediatric Gastroenterologists. Other key members of your care team include our registered dietician specialized in the management of parenteral (IV) nutrition and intestinal rehabilitation as well as our GI nurse with additional expertise in the management of enteral (feeding) tubes. Additional members include colleagues from Surgery, GI Psychology, Motility & Neurogastroenterology, and social work depending on your child’s specific needs. 

Whether it is your first visit in our program or a routine check-up, we want to hear it all. We are with you every step of the way. We often talk about specific symptoms related to intestinal rehabilitation and spend a great deal of time focusing in the nutritional management of this condition. Our goal is always to move towards enteral autonomy and limited need for parenteral (IV) nutrition. 

After your visit we ensure that you have a paper copy of our plan to maximize your ability to care for your child. 

Symptoms associated with intestinal rehabilitation vary a lot depending on the type of surgery your child had. The most common symptoms we manage include are nausea, vomiting, abdominal distention and pain, small intestine bacterial overgrowth, and diarrhea. With our multi-disciplinary team, however, we are ready to manage these symptoms and provide excellent care to you and your child. 

Our goal is to help your child reach their growth and developmental potential. Our team will work with you and your child to manage stool output, optimize hydration and help prevent or manage nutrient deficiencies which can happen easily in kids with intestinal failure. We will often consult with feeding and swallowing specialists to assist with developing your child’s oral intake often in conjunction with our Registered Dietitians who will help manage all nutrition support.